Subj : Re: GNU Public Licences Revisited (again) To : comp.programming From : Chris Sonnack Date : Wed Sep 21 2005 06:11 pm Randy Howard writes: >> What has that to do with anything? If I leave my car unlocked with >> the keys in it, is it morally okay to steal it? > > I was surprised to hear that leaving keys in an unlocked car is > actually ILLEGAL in some jurisdictions. Apparently, it is > immoral to "tempt" people that way. Furrfu. True of some cities around here (ironic since we're "up north" and a common practice is to start the car and retreat to a warm house until the car warms up). I would quibble over the use of "immoral" here. There are two types of laws (I wish I could remember their latin names): laws that descend from moral perception (don't murder, don't steal) and laws that are regulatory in nature (drive on the right, pay tax). I would guess the keys thing is regulatory--something legislated to (attempt to) improve how a society interacts. But, yeah, it's a bad sign. People are treated as heros if they find something valuable that was lost and--gasp--actually return it to its owner. >> Absolutely. No question about it. It's theft, pure and simple. >> >>> I think not. >> >> You're wrong. > > What's shocking to me is this conversation can even be happening > outside of a prison yard. It's stunning how far society has > collapsed in recent years. We're a young country who owes it existence to revolution--an act of lawlessness against the then current authority in the name of good. Our entertainment is filled with examples of protagonists who break the rules--outright disobey the law--in the pursuit of a higher goal. Capt. Kirk broke the Prime Directive how many times? :-) Long ago, Burger King's motto was "Sometimes you gotta break the rules." It deep, deep within our cultural mindset. -- |_ CJSonnack _____________| How's my programming? | |_ http://www.Sonnack.com/ ___________________| Call: 1-800-DEV-NULL | |_____________________________________________|_______________________| .